Reflections on creativity in writing centre praxis: Pedagogical encounters in a university of technology

Abstract

On entering a university of technology (UoT), students encounter a pre-existing university culture and history. It is within this milieu that they are expected to develop creativity and criticality so that when they enter broader society, they can face complex problems. In a UoT, working in silos with a theory-praxis disconnect constrains the ability of higher education to better society and transform lives. Writing centres are key role players in creating a learning environment to shape student futures. In this collaborative reflection we, as two writing centre practitioners, use the ‘What? So what? Now what?’ model (Rolfe, Freshwater & Jasper, 2001) to reflect on and highlight the creativity inherent in writing centre praxis. The Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) (Engeström 1987) concepts of mediating artefacts, rules, community, and division of labour are used to explore how the culture and history of the university environment are present, enacted, and embodied in our pedagogical encounters. These reflections focus on three selected pedagogical encounters in our writing centre praxis: a design classroom engagement; a teacher assistant training activity; and a tutor training activity. The reflections highlight the importance of collaborative and creative approaches to learning, enabling student voice and encouraging resilience.